VLButtonBar

A versatile outlook styled sidebar component.
VLButtonBar is a versatile navigation control. It can be deployed as outlook bar, vertical menu, visual basic styled toolbox, etc. Use unicode for group and button captions. Also provides native (MBCS) support for far eastern languages (Chinese, Japanese, Korean). Gradient filled background for group headers and buttons let you deliver great looking application. Select from a range of button styles to add real spice to your applications.

VLButtonBar - Features

VLButtonBar is a versatile navigation control that can be used to incorporate MS Outlook styled navigation sidebar, a vertical menu as well as visual basic style tool palette into your applications. It allows you to arrange sets of buttons / navigation items into groups, each identified by its header.

VLButtonBar provides native (MBCS) support for far eastern languages, and also supports use of unicode text and font for group and button captions, making it an ideal choice for localization of your application UI.

The control provides a variety of orientation and layout combinations for groups and buttons to suite your specific needs. Also, the control can automatically calculate the appropriate size for buttons based on button picture size, button caption and the font, or you can specify a custom button size as per your requirements.

A variety of gradient filled background options for group headers and buttons and button styles allow you to incorporate great looking UI into your application.

Its design time WYSWYG designer wizard ensures that you can add groups and buttons to VLButtonBar at design time and build your application's navigation system with minimum amount of code. With this wizard, you exactly know how your navigation system will look like at runtime; there is no need for trial runs to fine tune the appearance of your navigation system.

Features:

• Vertical menu, Tool bar or tool palette
  VLButtonBar offer unique ability to show a groups of buttons as outlook sidebar styled vertical menu, a tool bar or a tool palette.

• Group Flow
  VLButtonBar lets you specify the way groups should be displayed relative to each other. They can be shown one below the other (vertical flow) or side-by-side (horizontal flow). The orientation of the group caption will automatically get adjusted.

• Button Flow and Layout
  Similar to groups, buttons can be arranged flowing from top to bottom or from left to right. Also, the buttons can be displayed as tiled or with linear layout. Tiled layout gets you a tool palette styled appearance, where as linear layout gets you a vertical menu or a tool bar styled appearance.

• Automatic size calculation
  VLButtonBar automatically calculates the size of the buttons based on the button pictures, caption and font. You may choose to specify button size, in which case the buttons will be drawn as per your size specification.

• Gradient filled background
  VLButtonBar lets you specify gradient filled backgrounds for groups and buttons with a variety of options. Gradient filled background offers ability to get stunning visual effects to the groups and buttons.

• Keyboard support with hotkeys for buttons and groups
  VLButtonBar provides full support for keyboard based navigation. User can change active group, as well as select a button using keyboard. Keyboard support is significantly enhanced in version 3.0, by allowing use of keyboard mnemonics for groups and buttons. Also, with newly added keyboard events, your customers can now use VLButtonBar without touching the mouse.

• Enhanced text alignments
  In Ver 3.0, you can specify the alignment of caption of groups and buttons and have even more control on the appearance of the groups and buttons.

• Unicode support
  VLButtonBar now allows use of unicode text and unicode font for group and button captions. With this feature, now you can provide great looking navigation bar in your application in any language.

• Right To Left support
  Especially for Hebrew, Arabic and Urdu script, VLButtonBar now provides right-to-left display support. You will find this feature particularly useful when deploying VLButtonBar as a horizontal toolbar control.

• True color icons / icon files with multiple icons support
  VLButtonBar breaks the 16 color barrier for button icons. You can use even true color icon with VLButtonBar, and deliver absolutely stunning looking navigation interface in your application. If you have icon files with multiple icons, enhanced design time wizard of VLButtonBar will let you select appropriate icon from the file.

• Enhanced button styles
  You now have more button styles to choose from. With great looking rounded buttons, your application will be miles ahead of your competition.

• OLE drag drop and reordering of groups and buttons
  VLButtonBar supports drag-drop reordering of groups and buttons as well as reordering through your program. This version also introduces OLE drag drop events.

• WYSIWYG designer
  VLButtonBar has a built-in WYSIWYG designer for adding groups and buttons at design time, resulting in significant reduction in code.

• Simple programming interface
  VLButtonBar not only provide a good end user interface, it also provides an easy to use yet functionally powerful programming interface.

• Integrated on-line help
  VLButtonBar ships with a detailed, integrated on-line help. So, while programming help on any property or method is just F1 away.

• Sample
  VLButtonBar setup ships with an extensive sample program (with source) demonstrating the usages of the control.